SP to BJP: Where are achchhe din

Even while Uttar Pradesh has not repeated the same party in state elections in over two-and-a-half decades, chief minister and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said that the trend could be broken next year on the lines of the victory of the AIADMK in Tamil Nadu and the Trinamul Congress in West Bengal.

“People of two states re-elected the ruling party for doing good work. Our record on development works is before you. You may compare our development record with the NDA government at the Centre and even the previous ruling dispensation in Lucknow,” said Mr Yadav, while kickstarting the SP’s campaign for 2017 Assembly elections.

Cleverly positioning himself as the pro-development face of his party, Mr Yadav sought to dismiss the BSP as a rival in the 2017 polls, while singling out the BJP for not delivering on the promise of “achchhe din”. “Those who promised achchhe din never returned (to face people). Now, they only have the option to close their eyes and dream of achchhe din. It’s my government which is changing the lives of people,” said Mr Yadav, addressing a strongly-attended public rally.

In an apparent bid to caution Muslims from looking at the Mayawati-led BSP as an option in next year’s Assembly elections, Mr Yadav said: “There was a patharwali (stone) sarkar earlier which installed many statues of elephants. Those elephants who were sitting have not yet stood up. That government, if voted back to power, will again build only statues.”

Seeking to make a strong case for his pro-development image, Mr Yadav spelt out achievements of his government. “We have given 5.5 lakh women Samajwadi pension under which they get Rs 500 a month.”

The Centre did not cooperate yet we distributed Rs 1,650 crore for drought relief to the farmers. The Modi government talks of digital India but it’s we who gave laptops to students,” said Mr Yadav.

Suggesting that his credentials to build infrastructure is better than others, the chief minister claimed that Lucknow Metro is being built in record time and so is the case of Agra-Lucknow expressway, which would be extended to Balia.

The local MP and cousin of the chief minister Dharmendra Yadav said that the rally marked the launch of Samajwadi Party’s campaign to win the 2017 UP Assembly polls. The rally was held at Badaun to inaugurate the four lane road to connect with Bareilly.